Celeb Shot: Cheers to Kathleen Willcox
Wine wisdom from Saratoga's top wine writer. PLUS: Playground funding, the imminent Beer Summit, late snow and brawling for a cause.
Wine Time
At long last, mid-February brought us a little taste of winter, scoring us a beautiful four inches of snow—and then an Arctic temp drop for the weekend. For many people (guilty!), this winter roller coaster ride means curling up next to a fireplace with a decadent glass of red wine. Not sure what to buy? As it turns out, one of our town’s most top-level oenophiles has been right under our noses. Kathleen Wilcox jets off to wine countries around the world—from Napa to South Africa to Bordeaux—to report on the wine industry’s most prestigious offerings. And then she cools her heels in Saratoga, writing, being a mom to 10-year-old twins, and splashing out her wine finds on her Instagram (@kathleenwillcox), which is a wine lover’s dream of recommended bottles, elite wine tastings, and vineyard views from all over the world.
Kathleen sat down over a few glasses of vino at The Adelphi—no better place for two writers to have a fireside chat—to share what it’s really like traveling the world tasting wines for a living. Plus, she reveals her local wine picks, and debunks all of the misconceptions about wine and the people who drink it.
—Abby
Some people think of the wine world as elitist and closed off, something that’s so painful for me to hear, having moved here from Northern California. What are your thoughts?
People look at wine and think of it as this kind of exclusive club that they're never going to get into. But the wine community is surprisingly open. Winemakers—even winemakers in France and other regions that we would think would be very, very exclusive—they're very open. There's no judgment for not knowing something, and I found that to be very compelling. And I also love the way wine brings together culture and history, and art and sustainability. I have been writing for more than 20 years, but I've been doing wine writing almost exclusively for 10 years. I love it.
Where would we find your writing?
I write for Wine Enthusiast, Wine Searcher, and I also work for different industry publications like Wine Industry Network. I've even been doing more work with beer and cider too, because of my history living in upstate New York. Nine Pin does wonderful things in Albany. They are working to kind of resuscitate ancient official cider apples, which are different than the dessert apples.
What is it like to do so much international travel with a home base in Saratoga?
Doing it from Saratoga can be challenging. Let's face it, Albany International doesn't really fly internationally. So I've gotta fly to Newark and then fly to Paris or wherever. If you travel a lot for work, you know that the reality is not as glamorous as the image on Instagram. It is fun, but it's work.
Say you’ve landed somewhere fabulous to taste the region’s wines on an organized trip. How much sleep do you get?
It’s get on the bus at 8:00am, go tasting at three to five wineries…Then you might be able to go back to the hotel and change before dinner, and then you might be out until 11 or 12 at night. And then it's up and back on the bus at 8:00am.
How do you supplement your freelance salary?
I work as a consultant for wine regions and smaller companies, especially on the East Coast—it's close by, and the East Coast needs more love.
What wine regions on the East Coast are you most impressed with right now?
Long Island and Virginia. I'm not typically a fruit wine person, but they're doing some interesting things with it in New Hampshire and Maine. And the Finger Lakes, definitely. They do great Riesling and Cabernet Franc. They’ve come a long way.
We started today with a glass of Cava. Why do you like that as your sparkling wine starter?
I love sparkling wine. It's just fun. During Covid, sparkling wine sales skyrocketed, because people needed a very simple reason to smile, you know? I love Cava because unlike Prosecco, it is made in the traditional method of Champagne—so it’s basically the quality of Champagne, but at a fraction of the price. I also like that with Cava, the grapes are a little bit more food friendly, because the grapes they use in Spain are less dry. My favorite pairing in the world is Champagne and french fries. I love it.
What are some of your favorite wines right now?
I love Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley. That's one of my favorites. I love Right Bank Bordeaux. It’s just so delicate and the blend is so lovely. When I'm buying wine myself [not drinking free wine samples for the job], I'm going to go for a Portuguese white and maybe a Spanish red or an Italian red, a Chianti. I mean, it's real estate. Portugal's been so economically depressed that it's cheaper to grow the grapes there, which is great for us—pray for them.
What’s your favorite local wine shop?
Sage, right next to Next Door Kitchen Bar in Ballston Spa. The owner's very knowledgeable, and they have a lot of obscure bottles. They also do tastings there, which is nice.
What are the biggest misconceptions about wine?
As a wine writer, it’s that I drink every day—and judging from my Instagram, I can understand why. I try to give my liver a break Mondays through Thursdays. And then on the weekends, I might try seven different wines, but I'm either taking very small sips or I'm sipping and spitting.
Spitting…Let’s actually do a wine FAQ speed round. Spitting: go.
Sipping and spitting is definitely an art. I've seen some mishaps where people miss the bucket or it drips down their chin. I've been that person, too. There are actually YouTube videos teaching people how to spit wine professionally. I still haven't gotten that good.
So you’re in Napa, and there's that spit bucket…
Use it. Please do.
Wine-tasing: California vs Europe.
California kind of originated the tasting room. It's very luxurious. It's all about enjoying the moment and making it more of a glamorous event. Whereas in Europe, wine consumption is more of an everyday thing. So until maybe 10 years ago if you went to Burgundy or Bordeaux, you’d really have a hard time even getting into a tasting room because they didn't have one. You had to knock on the cellar door—it was musty, dusty, and the guy would probably yell at you for even coming. Now they welcome people, but it's still a much more rustic experience, even if it's a very fancy chateau.
Do the “legs” or “tears” mean anything?
Supposedly they don't, they really don't. They're pretty and they're kind of fun to look at! But I prefer to look at the color. If you tip it over [to the side], look at the difference in the color. This is a Cabernet, which is a really big wine, and you can see a kind of cranberry violet edge, which isn't typical for a Napa cab. It speaks volumes as to how well this one was made.
Does taking white wine out of the fridge for 10 minutes really make it taste better, and what about putting a bottle of red in the fridge for a few?
It definitely makes the whites perk up if you take it out for 10 minutes—or even 20 minutes—before. That brings out the aromas, and you're going to get more flavors. With the reds, a little chill just makes them more enjoyable and refreshing.
What’s your favorite wine trip of all time?
Probably South Africa, because it was such a different world in every way. And it was so beautiful. The scenery was wonderful, and the people were incredibly kind and welcoming. But there was a huge contrast between the haves and the have-nots that I hadn't encountered before. I'll never forget that; it made a huge impact on me.
Quote of the Week
“Airports are lawless. It’s completely acceptable to have an IPA at 6am.”
Overheard, Bailey’s
Winter is late to the party, but has arrived at long last…
Enjoy today’s light snow—and if predictions pan out, get ready to be snowed under this week. Tuesday could be our biggest storm yet this year.
Good City Council News
The “destination playground” approved last year has been given funding to the tune of $870,000. The Veterans Memorial Park concept includes a 30-foot climbing tower with slides, deck, “pathfinder” ramp and more. Head to Foothills Business Daily for the scoop and other breaking business news from around the Capital Region.
Weather Permitting
Last week, we introduced the Bartenders’ Brawl, and now we’re just days away—and it’s all for a good cause. “It’s the brawl, baby,” says Adam Feldman, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties, of the Bartenders’ Brawl, the cocktail mix-off he’s helping host at Putnam Place on Tuesday. Ten local mixologists from 10 different bars will be bringing their best cocktail concoction to the party, where attendees will be able to sample four-ounce pours of each for $5 (that includes tip). At the end of the night, for every drink you bought, you’ll get one vote, and the bartender with the most votes will be the winner of the first-ever Bartenders Brawl. Oh, and the evening has a Roaring Twenties theme.
Tickets are $35 a person or $85 for VIP, and proceeds from the event will go to Habitat for Humanity. “Habitat supports building homes for the workforce,” Adam says. “So now we’re putting on an event with and for the workforce.”
Hops on Top
Beer lovers, today’s your day. The Saratoga Beer Summit kicks off at City Center at 1pm. The eight-hour brew bonanza boasts more than 150 craft beers, hard ciders and seltzers. VIP option includes a private hour of tasting before the beer-loving masses descend, so if that’s appealing, grab your coat and head out soon.
For everyone who’s not day-drinking today, we hope you’re hitting the slopes or curled up with a good book. Enjoy the winter weather! —Abby and Natalie